Article holders have been devised in the past which are characterized by releasably securing items together, for example, to prevent their loss when not in use or to facilitate suspension of the articles from one's person.
The present invention may be best typified by describing its use in connection with eyeglasses, although by no means is the article holder of the present invention limited to that particular application. In the past, eyeglass retainers have been devised which include an elastic or non-elastic cord attached at opposite ends to the temples of the eyeglass frame and with some form of adjusting member or bead to tighten the cord behind one's head. Representative patents are E. E. Pendleton U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,255, J. Spina U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,026, R. A. Heiberger U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,164, J. C. Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 3,450,467, B. McClellan et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,060 and D. P. Downey U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,012. Of these, Phillips, Spina and McClellan et al are of general interest for disclosing various types of releasable connectors for attachment to the temples of a pair of eyeglasses. Also, it has been proposed to use some form of a tubular band with ends which can be stretched over the ends of the temples, such as, disclosed in I. E. Bloom U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,092 and to C. D. Perry, III U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,556 and C. Giles et al PCT WO87/077434. Another approach has been to employ a chain with ends of the chain fitting into a common sleeve or sheath and a coil spring within the sheath takes up any slack when the chain is passed over the head.
Among the features of the present invention is to overcome any problems of adjustment of the connecting member or cord, such as, to avoid tangling of the hair but at the same time lend a generally more pleasing decorative effect and a secure means of attachment to the temples of a pair of eyeglasses while maintaining simplicity of construction. Furthermore, it is important to provide for a releasable connector at opposite ends of the cord which will accommodate different thicknesses or sizes of temples and which can be adjustably tightened over a relatively broad area of engagement with the temples to prevent slippage or accidental release of the temples from the retainer.